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White Paper: Transit Service for South Shaganappi 2012
9/27/2012
2012 | Calgary Transit
TRANSIT
PLANNING
WHITE PAPER: TRANSIT SERVICE FOR SOUTH
SHAGANAPPI
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White Paper: Transit Service for South Shaganappi 2012
Table of Contents
Purpose ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
Area of Change .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Background ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Access to destinations............................................................................................................................... 5
Connecting to the LRT ............................................................................................................................... 6
Directness ................................................................................................................................................. 7
Future ridership ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Enhancing today’s transit service ............................................................................................................. 8
Network Review .................................................................................................................................... 8
Transit Priority Review .......................................................................................................................... 8
Technology Review ............................................................................................................................... 8
Possible application – new technology ................................................................................................. 9
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................. 9
APPENDIX A – Additional Policy References ............................................................................................... 10
APPENDIX B – Transit Technology Review (TransLink) ............................................................................... 12
APPENDIX C – Technology Review: Scope .................................................................................................. 14
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White Paper: Transit Service for South Shaganappi 2012
Purpose This report describes the need for a transit service review in northwest Calgary, and in particular in the
South Shaganappi area (Figure 1). Calgary Transit currently operates more than 20 bus routes in South
Shaganappi representing an annual service investment of approximately $24 million. Enhancing the
effectiveness of this service will help to attract passengers today and tomorrow.
South Shaganappi can be described as having a ‘last mile’ problem, as in customers experience long
walks between their transit stop and destination. Many cities with this same problem review bus routes
with simplicity in mind, and many are looking at new modes that are less restricted by complicated road
networks and congestion.
Area of Change Several major Calgary destinations call South Shaganappi home: the University of Calgary, Alberta
Children’s Hospital, Foothills Medical Centre, and Market Mall to name a few. This area (Figure 1)
represents Calgary’s second largest employment area and in the 30-year horizon, it is anticipated that
this area will grow to include 77,000 residents and 65,000 jobs.
In addition to growth on the university and hospital campuses, a major mixed use development project
called West Campus is planned for the lands surrounding Alberta Children’s Hospital. Study of the area
transportation network is also underway including a functional plan for Shaganappi Trail and Crowchild
Trail.
Background Planning of today’s transportation network in South Shaganappi occurred mainly in the 1970s, including
approval of Northwest LRT in the median of Crowchild Trail (CALTS 41). Today’s policies (see Appendix
A) help define the form and shape of predicted growth in South Shaganappi.
Municipal Development Plan has identified growth nodes:
o Major Activity Centre (MAC) at Brentwood, and
o Community Activity Centre (CAC) at the Market Mall lands
o 50 % of new growth to occur in existing communities
Calgary Transportation Plan has identified a Primary Transit Network1, composed of links with
frequent service:
o Northwest LRT
o 32 Avenue NW
o Shaganappi Trail
o University Drive (and within the UofC campus)
o 29 Street NW
o Crowchild Trail
o 16 Avenue NW
1 The Primary Transit Network offers ten-minute service through the day: more than 15 hours a day, seven days a
week. The transit technology to deliver this frequency should be selected to meet ridership demand and community attributes.
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White Paper: Transit Service for South Shaganappi 2012
South Shaganappi Communities Area Plan:
o “intended to guide both public and private decision making and investment in the South
Shaganappi area over the next 30 years.”
RouteAhead:
o “the strategic framework to guide public transit in Calgary over the next 30 years.”
FIGURE 1: SOUTH SHAGANAPPI & ACTIVITY CENTRES
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White Paper: Transit Service for South Shaganappi 2012
Access to destinations In an ideal world, destinations are located a close walk from transit routes. Applying this ideal to the South Shaganappi context would look significantly different than today’s development pattern and transit routes (Figure 2). FIGURE 2: IDEAL AND TODAY’S TRANSIT ROUTES
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White Paper: Transit Service for South Shaganappi 2012
Connecting to the LRT Calgary’s CTrain or LRT network is the backbone of Calgary Transit service. Throughout Calgary
supporting bus routes are designed to connect with CTrain stations to give local and regional travel
opportunities. In South Shaganappi over 20 bus routes connect with the LRT. That said few destinations
fall within a comfortable walk (5 – 10 minutes) of the NW LRT (Figure 3).
FIGURE 3: TYPICAL CTRAIN WALKING DISTANCES ALONG NORTHWEST LRT
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White Paper: Transit Service for South Shaganappi 2012
Directness To provide coverage, or transit customer access, to all destinations in South Shaganappi Calgary Transit’s
routes travel along many roadways although few permit direct, short bus connections. In the long term,
the majority of transit routes connecting the University and Brentwood Station will travel via Alberta
Children’s Hospital. As shown in Figure 4, this route today is twice as long as other options on the
University campus and is below Calgary Transit’s average travel speed for bus routes (21 km / hr).
Future congestion may mean additional delay to bus routes.
FIGURE 4: TYPICAL TRAVEL TIMES (PRIMARY TRANSIT NETWORK)
Future ridership The Calgary Transportation Plan envisions transit frequency improvements in South Shaganappi.
Improving service frequency alone may not, however, be enough of an improvement to improve travel
times and attract new passengers. The City of Calgary has forecast the number of trips the above
scenario will attract to transit. The forecast model examines South Shaganappi in two zones. It shows
that in 2039, the proportion of travellers using transit versus other modes (i.e. mode split) for the two
areas does not achieve the base, city-wide goals set out in Calgary Transportation Plan. In an important,
inner city area like South Shaganappi the expectation is to exceed city-wide ridership targets.
6 minutes
(150 buses / day)
13 minutes
(600 buses / day)
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White Paper: Transit Service for South Shaganappi 2012
Enhancing today’s transit service There are several approaches needing review to improve transit service in the South Shaganappi area.
These are described here:
Network Review
Cities like Portland, Oregon have undertaken reviews of their bus networks to create more grid-like
patterns. These patterns fit with the Calgary Transportation Plan goals of creating more cross town
travel opportunities on transit. In the case of South Shaganappi there may be opportunities to optimize
how the more than 20 routes operate.
Transit Priority Review
Adding transit priority, or preference over the private automobile, is
occurring throughout Calgary. Many traffic signals now detect
approaching buses and either extend a green light or terminate a red
light to allow buses a speedier route. In other cases, bus-only lanes and
bus-only crossings are added to roadways where transit service is
frequent. This approach reflects Calgary Transit’s ability to increase the
capacity of the transportation network. Living without a car in Calgary
should not be cumbersome and transit priority is a big step in making
transit service more attractive.
Technology Review
To address today’s last mile concerns, a new means of providing transit links is required. The following
criteria need to be addressed:
Frequency (waits under a minute)
Proven and cost effective
High capacity
Accessible
Appropriate in Calgary’s climate
Enhances safety by adding ‘eyes on the street’
Reduces emissions
Passenger friendly:
o Fare integration
o Help phones and cameras
Appendix B shows how TransLink (the transportation authority for metro-Vancouver) compared nine
different technologies to connect Simon Fraser University with their rail (SkyTrain) system.
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White Paper: Transit Service for South Shaganappi 2012
Possible application – new technology
A hypothetical example of how this might be applied would be to replace Route 91, which connects
many of the South Shaganappi destinations: Lion’s Park LRT station, Foothills General Hospital, Alberta
Children’s Hospital, University of Calgary, and Brentwood LRT station with a higher capacity and higher
speed ‘people mover’. This route costs approximately $1.5 million / year to operate; if it were replaced
with a new technology, the benefits could be:
Improved frequency (Today: 15 minutes to an hour.)
Shorter trip length
Faster travel speed
Reduced diesel use
Reduced annual emissions
Replacing Route 91 may be a possibility, although detailed study and partnering with South Shaganappi
communities and activity centres will confirm whether a new technology is appropriate: suitability with
area master planning, and which route(s) a technology could best support. Appendix C lists questions
that should be included in a feasibility study for South Shaganappi. Many of the questions are linked
with offset costs for public and private partners and suggest that $1 to $3 Billion may be saved versus
more auto based traditional solutions. Further study should also answer whether a Bow River crossing is
appropriate and whether connecting Northwest and West LRT lines is feasible.
Conclusion Ultimately, providing a high level of service for South Shaganappi customers is Calgary Transit’s goal.
Review of routes, transit priority and technology opportunities should involve adjacent communities and
consider other City and partner studies:
Shaganappi Trail Functional Plan
Crowchild Trail Functional Plan
University of Calgary Transportation Demand Management Plan
West Campus Master Plan
Enhancing the effectiveness of Calgary Transit’s service to South Shaganappi will mean more direct,
convenient and reliable service. It also means maximizing the benefits of more than 20 bus routes and a
current annual service investment of $24 Million.
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White Paper: Transit Service for South Shaganappi 2012
APPENDIX A – Additional Policy References
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White Paper: Transit Service for South Shaganappi 2012
City of Calgary – Guiding Policies
Municipal Development Plan (MDP) Calgary Transportation Plan (CTP)
On 2009 September 28, City Council approved a new Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and Calgary Transportation Plan (CTP) that were created through the Plan It Calgary process. These plans describe the vision for a long-term pattern of growth and development in Calgary over the next 60 years and provide policies that will start to create that form of city over the next 30 years. 1
Major Activity Centre Community Activity Centre Primary Transit Network
Major Activity Centres are areas of high job and population growth located in strategic areas central to larger residential catchment areas and linked city-wide by the Primary Transit Network.2
Community Activity Centres are areas of moderate job and population growth convenient to one or more communities and supported by the Primary Transit Network. 2
The Primary Transit Network is defined by level of service – not by mode. It comprises a permanent network of high-frequency transit services (i.e., LRT, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), streetcars/trams and frequent bus service) that will operate every 10 minutes or less over an extended operating period, seven days a week.3
Brentwood LRT station area is identified as a Major Activity Centre in MDP.
The Market Mall area is identified as a Community Activity Centre in MDP.
Several links are identified in the Primary Transit Network in CTP:
Northwest LRT
32 Avenue NW
Shaganappi Trail
University Drive (and within the UofC campus)
29 Street NW
Crowchild Trail
16 Avenue NW Sources:
1. http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation/TP/Pages/Planning/Calgary-Transportation-Plan/Calgary-Transportation-Plan-
(CTP).aspx)
2. http://www.calgary.ca/PDA/LUPP/Documents/Publications/mdp-municipal-development-plan.pdf (Page 2.2)
3. http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation/TP/Documents/CTP2009/calgary_transportation_plan_2009.pdf (Page 3-11)
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White Paper: Transit Service for South Shaganappi 2012
APPENDIX B – Transit Technology Review (TransLink)
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White Paper: Transit Service for South Shaganappi 2012
COMPARISON: CONNECTING SKYTRAIN WITH SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY (TRANSLINK)
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White Paper: Transit Service for South Shaganappi 2012
APPENDIX C – Technology Review: Scope
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White Paper: Transit Service for South Shaganappi 2012
Technology Review: Scope
Calgary Transit recommends studying transit technologies for South Shaganappi to determine if the
existing bus transit limitations in South Shaganappi can be addressed. It is proposed that such a study
would involve the following elements:
Passenger travel demands
Lessons from other urban centres
Routing and phasing
Bus route impacts, including whether routes can be simplified or eliminated
Station locations and integration principles
Urban design
Avoided capital spending:
o Parking structures for transit, NW hospitals and the University of Calgary ($500 M - $1B)
o Road improvements, including upgrades to Crowchild Trail ($200 - $500 M) and
Shaganappi Trail
Avoiding operating expenses:
o Route elimination ($1.5 – $3M / year)
o Route efficiencies ($2.5 - $4M / year)
Emission reductions
Safety enhancements
Public support
Operating and construction costs
Feasibility and constructability
Renderings of options
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